This invention relates generally to amusement devices, and more specifically relates to party devices of the type commonly known as pinatas.
The pinata is a device which for many years has found favor for use at parties and various other festive occasions--especially where children are present. Although the device is known and widely enjoyed by all cultures, it is particularly popular among Hispanic cultures, where the pinata has most commonly been formed of clay or the like and taken the form of a boat, animal, or similar fanciful figure, such as a Santa Claus or so forth. Pinatas of this type are commonly filled with candy, coins or other goodies, and suspended by wires or strings from a ceiling. The children present then derive great pleasure from the attempts by their members to break the pinata with a bat or the like, and thereby release the prized contents thereof.
In a further known type of pinata, the device may be constructed of paper mache or other frangible material, and may include a paper closure which is torn by a child pulling a cord or similar element secured to the said closure.
Thus, it will be appreciated that most of the pinatas of the prior art, have been conceived of as devices intended but for a single use. The devices are thus seen to be destroyed during the course of use, and following such employment, they are normally discarded. Such a mode of use, however, tends to make the pinata a relatively high-cost decoration, and thereby limits its attractiveness. Moreover, the fact that the pinata is consumed in use, necessitates frequent repurchase of the items or alternatively, storage of a plurality of quite bulky units.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,675, I have, however, disclosed a device which overcomes many of these prior art problems. The said patented device is a collapsible and reusable pinata, which includes a frangible bottom portion together with a frame so joined to the walls and bottom of the pinata as to enable lateral collapse of the device for storage.
A further pinata, including a weakened bottom wall is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,364.